Man dies 10 days after jumping from West Side apartment building to escape fire

Liam FordTribune reporter

A 42-year-old man has died more than a week after jumping from a burning apartment building in the Austin neighborhood, authorities said.

Willie Harris, of the 5800 block of West Lake Street, was declared dead today at Loyola University Medical Center, after jumping from his building on Nov. 19, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police responded to the scene a little after 10:30 p.m. that night and were told by firefighters that the victim had jumped from a second-story window, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien. He was taken to Loyola In critical condition.

One witness told WGN-TV at the time that Harris had no choice but to jump.

“Coming down the the stairwell, there was absolutely nothing but deep, black smoke, said Mary Richardson, who lives in the same building.

An update on the cause of the fire was not available this evening. An autopsy on Harris was expected Wednesday.